The All-UGA Heat Check: Hot – Mark Richt’s seat. (Duh)
Isaiah Crowell: It wasn't all (or even mostly) his fault, folks. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
The Monday Heat Check arrives, due to the holiday, a day later than usual. Georgia fans might wish it didn’t arrive at all. Because it’s all about the Bulldogs.
Mark Richt’s nerve: It was in place. Georgia won the toss and chose to receive. Get After Their Assets, as the famous Bulldog slogan (sort of) goes. Trouble was, the players’ nerves were jumping all over the place. There was a false start before the first snap, another false start on third down and a delay of game before the punt. Heat Index: Richt tried to be cool, but his players were uncool.
Todd Grantham’s pass defense: Kellen Moore threw 34 passes. One was intercepted. (He was pressured and threw poorly.) Five were incompletions. Twenty-eight were completed. Georgia mustered no sacks. Heat Index: If this is aggressive D at its best, Willie Martinez is Buddy Ryan.
Mike Bobo’s offense: It managed 373 yards, which doesn’t sound so bad. But 167 of those yards came on three plays. (All resulting in touchdowns.) Georgia ran 60 plays and netted 13 first downs. It converted two of 13 third downs. Only one possession spanned more than seven plays, and it ended when Richt chose to go for it on fourth-and-one and Richard Samuel was halted in the backfield. Heat Index: A damp squib.
Isaiah Crowell: He rushed for 60 yards, which is only 24 fewer than Herschel Walker managed in his collegiate debut. But Herschel scored two touchdowns and trampled Bill Bates. Not really a fair comparison, I know — but so much hope has been invested in this latest New Herschel. Heat Index: By normal standards, Crowell’s first game was warm enough.
Aaron Murray: If you want to call it the worst game this gifted quarterback has played as a Bulldog, I wouldn’t argue. He wasn’t terrible; he just wasn’t very good. Heat Index: What’s the opposite of balmy? Tepid?
Alec Ogletree: He figured to be Georgia’s best defender this season. He broke his foot in the first half. He’s out at least a month. Heat Index: That cold chill? It’s traversing the spinal column of the aforementioned Mr. Grantham.
Georgia fans: They came to praise their team. Many left early. Some booed as they departed. Heat Index: A few of these folks seemed hot under their dog collars, if you’ll pardon the expression.
Mark Richt’s seat: He’s not going to be fired on Sunday if Georgia loses to South Carolina on Saturday. But losing to South Carolina could well convince Bulldog Nation that there will never again be great days under this coach, and once that happens there’s almost no going back. Heat Index: No warmer than a blast furnace.
By Mark Bradley
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720 comments Add your comment
Andy in Blairsville
September 6th, 2011
2:59 pm
How many have booked rooms in Shreveport already?
Cool Whipper
September 6th, 2011
3:01 pm
If I were making 3.5 million and losing a lot I’d come and say that I was overpaid and that because I’m not winning (which is what I get paid to do) that $2.5 million of my contract will be refunded to the University Of Georgia.
Dawg Zone
September 6th, 2011
3:02 pm
Dear Roosters, don’t get too cocky. Your “breakthrough” season last year included FIVE losses. You didn’t improve as much as Georgia, Tennessee and Florida fell apart. Win a conference title (or at least the freakin Chick-Fil-A Bowl) before running your mouths.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:03 pm
oops.
I conviently forgot, but at least in the football game they act like they spent the week practicing football. Uga acts like they not real sure what you are suppose to do on the line of scrimmage and that is not good dude.
Cool Whipper
September 6th, 2011
3:03 pm
Its still stupid to have two players with same jersey number (1). Very stupid.
Bark Madley
September 6th, 2011
3:03 pm
First!
Cool Whipper
September 6th, 2011
3:04 pm
Two players with # 1 jersey number ? Only at UGA…
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:05 pm
@cool whimp
that is why you don’t make 3.5 million and never will.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:06 pm
you can have 2 dudes with the same number; one plays offense and one plays defense. USC has a couple of players who do that. Check out the game dude.
SuperB
September 6th, 2011
3:07 pm
You are right on every point! Richt has lost his mojo. Maybe Chris Peterson can head south and bring his with him.
Hot Dawg
September 6th, 2011
3:08 pm
Well dude, there have been plenty of times that your Chickens have acted like they are clueless at the line of scrimmage as well. You’re not excatly world beaters yourself. Mark Richt still has a pretty good record against SC, and you guys have been a laughing stock for the majority of your football existence. Get back to me when you actually win the SEC, not just the East.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:09 pm
Don’t compare USC QB issue with the Mettenburger issue. Mettenburger had to go because of sexual assault but he is good to go at LSU so when georgia plays them, that QB is gonna make georgia wish he was still on the team. USC still has Garcia and he learned all the valuable life lessons so all is good.
GT Alum
September 6th, 2011
3:09 pm
So, in short, you’re predicting that if the Dawgs can’t beat the ‘Cocks, Richt and UGA football will be steering into the same waters that finally got Hewitt fired.
Steve Spurrier's next door neighbor
September 6th, 2011
3:11 pm
Hello, I live in Columbia and saw coach this morning in his driveway when we were both headed to work. I yelled over to him and asked how he likes South Carolina’s chances in Athens this Saturday, and he smiled and gave me a thumb’s up. I think he’s pretty confident.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:12 pm
@hot dog
temper temper son.
USC beat down georgia last year and what happens this year? georgia fans went from “we gonna beat you good tween the hedges” to “fire Mark Richt” to “USC is gonna put a beat down on us”
I don’t have to talk to much smack cuz the georgia faithful are doing a real good job all by their lonesome.
Alphare
September 6th, 2011
3:13 pm
A little observation:
Last week, UGA-BSU: 19 vs 5, ranking difference: 14
This week, UGA-USC: 29 vs 12, ranking difference: 17
That means UGA is facing a stronger opponent this weekend in USC than last weekend in BSU.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:15 pm
SOS has never been more confident than now during his time in Columbia
Hot Dawg
September 6th, 2011
3:15 pm
Who said I was comparing Garcia to Mettenburger. I said that your Chickens have had several times where they looked clueless at the line of scrimmage (in a game!). The SEC champ. game comes to mind from last year where you gave up over half a hundred to Auburn. BTW, we don;t play LSU anytime soon, except of we were to meet them in the champ game and I don’t see that happening. Yeah, I’m sure Garcia has learned all life’s lessons at the ripe age of 23. Keep telling yourself that.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:17 pm
Don’t fire Mark Richt
His record vs USC is really quite good.
His record will not suffer too much after Saturday.
Alphare
September 6th, 2011
3:18 pm
USC has Lattimore/Jeffrey/Crownley/Garcia, except Garcia, all high NFL draft picks.
I heard another guy emerged as world beater last weekend. but forgot his name.
I cannot imagine UGA can beat them.
FalconUGAFan
September 6th, 2011
3:19 pm
@bamaguy and Gator Mike- I’m late to the commenting here but you are 2 very classy folks….
Hot Dawg
September 6th, 2011
3:20 pm
Don’t worry USC Gamec*ck, your Chickens will probably win on Saturday. But I can definitely assure you of one thing. UGA will definitely be back, mark my word. It may be with a new coach but we will be back Enjoy it while you can. Like I said, you may win the East but you won’t beat Bama or LSU.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:21 pm
Garcia has learned some life lessons but that was not the point i was making. I know, I know, you are a georgia dude so let me splain it to you.
Garcia does wrong he gets diciplined and still on the team and leads USC to a come back victory in preparation for a huge georgia game.
Mettneburger does wrong, gets stoned in the media and goes to LSU, he is no longer around at georgia but he will come back in a couple of years stone georgia
that was my point
Same old
September 6th, 2011
3:22 pm
How many fans will still be in Sanford Stadium after SC goes up by 21 in the 1st quarter?
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:23 pm
hot dog or puppy chow
do you hear USC crowing?
I do.
AMC Pacer
September 6th, 2011
3:24 pm
The biggest change that CMR needs to make is to stop recruiting the lowlife illiterate punks who he seems to think will win for him and keep his grossly oversized paychecks coming in. People like Marcus Dowtin, A.J. Green, Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, and others too numerous to mention are not team players, they’re “me first” jerks who don’t give a rip about anyone else.
Or just dump Richt today, that works for me.
gdawginkalamazoo
September 6th, 2011
3:25 pm
I finally figured out what the 3-4 defense is. Took me a while but I believe the 3-4 defense means that the opponent is going to score a minimum of 3 or 4 touchdowns.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:26 pm
BTW my stock is down this morning but thats okay. it pays a huge dividend and the prospects are excellent. PE is only 8.56 so I am buying more.
the stock is CVX. get some while the getting is good.
Delbert D.
September 6th, 2011
3:26 pm
Selected quotes from an article by Chadd Scott of 680thefan, on the ChuckOliver.net blog
“By replacing Dave Van Halanger with Joe Tereshinski, Mark Richt is making another decision based on loyalty, a failing which will soon cost him his job.”
“That’s not all. As bad of a decision as Richt made keeping Van Halanger too long, he made a worse decision in replacing him with UGA staffer Joe Tereshinski.”
“He’s an ex-jock whose loyalty to the UGA football program has been rewarded with a job he isn’t close to qualified for. How do I know? If there were a S&C opening at any other major college football program in the country, I can promise you Joe Tereshinski would not only not land the job, he wouldn’t even be interviewed or considered.”
“Tereshinski’s bio on the Georgia athletics web site lists no post-graduate degrees or any strength training certifications he possesses. It does mention that he’s been an assistant in the strength program since 1982! Would UGA fans want a head football coach who’d languished as an assistant coach for almost 30 years? His bio also mentions that he manages the Dawgs’ walk-on program; that is critical to the man tasked with securing the team’s athletic potential.”
“Tereshinski got this job because he’s been in Athens forever and as someone mentioned to me on Twitter, the UGA athletic department has become a jobs program for former UGA athletes.”
The date of the article from which these quotes were taken:
December 8, 2010
Hot Dawg
September 6th, 2011
3:29 pm
Thanks for “splaining” that to me. Like I said dufus, LSU is not scheduled to play UGA anytime soon except in the Dome ( I don’t see that happening). Richt had to choice but to let the kid go. he groped some chick, and then lied to Richt about it. I know, I know, if that had been your wonder boy Garcia, he would’ve had to run or something after practice.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:30 pm
Mark if you are still reading these silly banterings, how you feeling now about your predictions for UGa???
My guess is you realize you were way to much of a “Homer” and feel silly.
You don’t have a lot of credibility when it comes to football so no real harm was done.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:31 pm
Garcia would never grope a chick but he might have a beer with you after pratice. The USC faithful love the kid.
wildbill
September 6th, 2011
3:32 pm
This year’s dawgs look more and more like last year’s dawgs, and the ones before that, etc, etc. Coaches too. I’m wondering how long the dawg nation can tolerate the status quo year after year in Athens. CHANGE, thats what we need, and a few victories too.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:32 pm
Hey Puppy Chow (hot dog)
I was glad to splain it so you would understand it. Thats why the teacher types and student reads.
VolGuy
September 6th, 2011
3:33 pm
As you can see, I am not a UGA fan, but my wife is and my son is a UGA grad. So, I watched the game dispassionately, hoping UGA would win so my wife and son would be happy. It looked to me that UGA just got beat by a better team. I agree with one of the other posters that there seems to be a cycle with UGA fans. It starts with over-hypeing the team before they ever play a game (e.g. the Dream Team moniker). They expect the team to win an SEC championship every year, and when they lose one game they are ready to run CMR and Bobo out of town. I’ve never been a great fan of CMR, but he does have a pretty good winning percentage. I hope they beat SC, mainly because I don’t like Spurrier, but if the Dogs lose, I suupose there will be a moving van in front of Richt’s house (ala Tennessee and Bill Battle) on Monday morning.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:35 pm
Richt changed alot of things. CHANGE does not always work out like you think it will. Take a good look at the federal government for a recent example as exhibit A.
Ginger
September 6th, 2011
3:52 pm
Lets Win this game Saturday…..It is time to put the 12th Man in the game Saturday for UGA
Calling on all UGA fans to be loud at the Sanford and make play calling and snap count hard for Garcia and the Gamecocks.
The Band needs to play Glory to Ole Georgia all day long….We need to be playing all the time–the way that Tennessee does Rocky Top–every time Tennessee makes a good play.
Lots of recruits at game on Saturday—-they need to see a supportive crowd that loves the DAWGS.
Our players will player faster and stronger if the crowd is into it no matter what the score.
Come on—get out the Red Towels, Red shirts—-RED OUT….and wave the Red terrible Towel all day long…………Lets do our part to help the team win.
gdawginkalamazoo
September 6th, 2011
3:52 pm
IF we end up this season having to beat Tech to become bowl eligible we better be ready to beat UCF this bowl season. At least score a touchdown against them.
gdawginkalamazoo
September 6th, 2011
3:55 pm
Is true that we didn’t run a single play inside the redzone?
USC has 4 bowl wins in its history
September 6th, 2011
3:55 pm
Enjoy the time to rail on UGA while you can. After all, you have won a whopping 25% of your games against us. Maybe you’ll get that elusive 5th bowl win this season.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:55 pm
Big Question
How many tackles did John Jenkins or Kwamee Geathers make vs BSU??
Remember ole Jenkins was gonna be the cog that makes the 3-4 defense go… well it went alright…
Those two studs combined for ZERO tackles.
junkyard defense is more like “hey this is rover”
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
3:56 pm
and rover is on a leash…so no fear.
Smart Jay
September 6th, 2011
3:57 pm
Ha, f***ing, ha!
“Let’s say it again: Boise State — great coach, great program. But there’s still a difference between the Mountain West and the SEC. In such a bout, a skilled and disciplined welterweight always has a chance. But most of the time a good big man beats a good little man. Georgia 34, Boise 24″
Share This With Others
September 6th, 2011
3:59 pm
Every August, all I hear is how UGA are National Champs. I’m hate UGA now more than ever. Please do us a favor and elimante the UGA football program. What a WASTE of money.
USC GAMEC0CK
September 6th, 2011
4:00 pm
I know its tough for Uga to look up and see big, bad USC standing there with their rooster chest all puffed out and claws ready to spur …its tough…just ask Tennessee…they been getting a birds eye view at a Rooster underbelly.
Share This With Others
September 6th, 2011
4:01 pm
UGA frat boys are all homo’s. Yeah I said it………….what cha gonna do about it.
Melanie
September 6th, 2011
4:02 pm
Georgia was ranked far too high. Is it possible that they were ranked in the Top 25 to help Boise State claim “legitimacy” by defeating a “ranked” SEC team?
USC's mascot is poultry
September 6th, 2011
4:03 pm
I love getting a street view of the Williams-Brice tailgating scene. There is nothing quite like the view of roofing shingles and public-utility vehicles.
Share This With Others
September 6th, 2011
4:03 pm
good god Melanie……………….are you drunk on the UGA red kool-aide?
LSUTigerinATL
September 6th, 2011
4:04 pm
Maybe the SEC should be looking for 2 new SEC west teams after A&M comes on board! UGA is now in the ranks of Vanderbilt and Kentucky.